EUREKA — Two resolutions to give voters the chance to eliminate taxes in Woodford County were defeated Tuesday evening by the County Board.

The resolutions were two of three taxpayer initiatives brought forward by County Board member Larry Whitaker and would have given county residents the chance to re-examine taxes that are 16 and 26 years old.

The University of Illinois Extension tax levy was passed in 1988, and Whitaker said the Extension programs have evolved as time progressed, but public comment during the meeting was focused on the lobbying efforts of Extension and 4-H members advocating for the levy to remain in place.

“A lot of people paying for this tax never had an opportunity to vote on it,” Whitaker said. “The fair way to do it is to give the voters the opportunity. … Public perception versus the ballot box are often two very different things.”

Some of the same Extension members who spoke out at County Board meetings last fall when the line item on the budget was scrutinized again voiced the merits of the organization to the board.

“The Woodford County mentality is that we support Extension,” board member John Krug said. “I was duped into making the motion to cut their funding last year. I have learned my lesson.”

The measure scarcely evaded a spot on the November ballot, failing by a vote of 7-to-8.

Board member Terry Pille, a former 4-H member and leader, said voters would likely vote down the levy under a referendum simply because the language implied that taxes would be lower, and that to reinstate the levy would be a long and difficult process, just as it was in 1988 when it narrowly passed.

The board has full authority to set the levy up to 4 cents, including at zero, without a referendum.

Some board members, including Mike Hinrichsen and John Delaney, voiced their support of the 4-H program but said they had some unanswered questions about the Extension office’s other programs and operations.

“(4-H is) only one part of Extension,” Delaney said. “Perhaps there’s a better way to fund 4-H or change something. I’d like to see those concerns fleshed out.”

Another failed resolution would have put a referendum on the ballot for taxpayers to decide whether the 1 percent public safety retail sales tax should be eliminated at the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The vote was 11-4.

The tax was created in 1998 to fund construction of the Woodford County Jail. Bond payments on the project are expected to be complete in less than two years, but board members expressed concerns about ongoing expenditures for maintenance and repairs.

The tax brought in $1.83 million last year, more than what was paid out in bond payments. Board members were concerned how the county would account for the lost revenue, which would likely result in an increase in property taxes.

Page 2 of 2 - “The one thing we know is that if we take action on this we will raise taxes on the homeowners of this county,” Hinrichsen said. “We do not know for certainty that this will drive economic development.”

The third taxpayer initiative introduced by Whitaker was a resolution urging the board to seek competitive bids for the health insurance provided to county employees for the first time in five years. The resolution passed 14-1.

Laura Nightengale can be reached at 686-3181 or lnightengale@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauranight.